By Brad McGrath
DOVETON started its MPNFL Casey Cardinia League season in emphatic fashion, thumping Hampton Park by 122 points at Robinson Oval on Saturday.
At quarter-time the Redbacks were leading 3.2 to Doveton’s 2.6 but the floodgates opened after coach Hayden Stanton spoke to his players.
Led by John Atwell, who gathered more than 30 possessions, the Doves slammed on nine goals in the second term to blow the game apart.
“It was good – obviously when you play sides that are struggling with their depth you’re on a hiding to nothing and are expected to win,” Stanton said.
“They came out hard and gave everything to us in the first quarter but they are very young and it’s going to be hard for them to compete with the bigger bodies.”
Ruckman Clint Wilson was prominent while Shaun Semmons and skipper Michael Henry were also pivotal in the huge victory.
The Doves eventually ran out 24.21 (165) to 6.7 (43) winners with Nathan Wilson booting six majors as their major focal point in attack.
Lionel Benoit, Sean Winsall and Danny Cortsee tried hard for the Redbacks.
The Doves may receive a boost with youngster Jake Mullen signalling he is unhappy at Ellinbank and District Football League club Buln Buln and wishes to return to the Doves. Stanton said there would be a VCFL hearing in coming weeks, with Buln Buln refusing to clear the promising Dandenong Stingrays player.
The remainder of the round 1 games will be completed on Saturday with Cranbourne taking on Berwick in what should be a great contest between the reigning premier and one of its main challengers.
ROC will be keen to see how far it has progressed when it takes on Pakenham, which has a point to prove under a new coach. Premiership favourite Narre Warren should be too strong for Beaconsfield and Keysborough and Tooradin-Dalmore should put up an entertaining duel.
